Apparatus for treating textile fabrics.



PATBNTBD MAR. 13,'1906.

No. 815,306. l. o. UBBRAMAIER.

APPARATUS PoR TRBATING TEXTILE FABRICS APPLICATION FILED JULY 20. 1905.

j srATFs l APPARATUS FOUR: TREATING TEXTILE FABIOS.

Speccation of'L Inetters Patent.

Fratelated March 13, 19.06,

Application flied July 2o, 1905. serai No. 270,572.

To tI/,Z whom, t may concern:

.Be it known thatr I, Or'ro OBERMAIER, manufacturer, a subject of theKing ofBavaria, residing at Lambrecht, VPalati'nate, Germany, have invented a certain new and useful; Apparatus for Treating Textile Fabrics, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference` to an apparatus for treating textile fabrics, as in` dyeing, extraction of grease, bleaching, washing, and

`. for similar operationsfby means of circulating liquids. 'In the 'known apparatus of this kind. the circulation of the liquids` is usually effected; by submitting them to pressure` and -byconnecting a receptacle containing the liquids with the keir containing the materials transmitted tothe materialto be' treated, so that the said material is compressed, and it i zo then becomes diflicult to have the liquids permeatethe material. Then when Working in this manner the compression produced in thematerial was irregular, and `consequently thetreatment ofthe material withthe liquids was also very irregulanparticularly in the case of dyeing, in which the coloring was not uniform. The apparatus forming the, subject ofthis invention produces not only a pressure, but

o also a powerful vacuum, in` such a manner that during the passa e of the liquid vthrough the receptacle for e ecting the treatment the vacuum acts by pulling on one side, while on the other side the` pressure acts by pushing eect of causing the material to be exp sanded,-` fi. e., the individual fibers tend to move away from each other,- so that the material is loosened and it becomes possible for the liquid to permeate the material readily and uniformly.

The pressure employed is not strong enough .for overcOIlirng `this favorable action O f the vacuum, but it is sui'licient for imparting to the liquid a suiiicient flow between the dischll'gey from the receptacle for effecting the treatment of its entrance into thefreceptacle.l By the aid of the apparatus vabout tobe described it is possible whenever necessary to introduce a ressure of a column of air or of'gasof one- 'al f, one, or twoy atmospheres into .the liquortank, whichis connected to the receptacle for. containing the material or fabric instead ofy working With theatmospheric pressure exi clusively, whichis sufficient in most cases.

In the acwmpanynsdrawngs, the ASull- V l and are aspirated fromA the other. to be,l treated. In such case the pressure is ter only as applied to the dyeing of'textile ".ibers.

The vacuum produces thev j ect-matter of the invention is illustrated in a 'construction shown by wayv of example.L e

Figure` 1 is a diagrammatic view, partly in elevation and partly in section, of they entire apparatus. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on line M M of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows in plan view the arrangement of a complete apparatus for industrialpurpose on a small scale, Fig. 4 is fa sectional` side view of a multiple distributer effects a distribution of the gases in anyl di'- rection desired in order to produce a longii tudinal movementof the valve, Fig..5, at the desired moment.

The apparatus will be describedherenaf- The materials to be dyed are placed iny oneJ or more perfectly closed receptacles A, known as keirs, and are retained in these keirs between two perforated diaphragms a a. In

the present case there are provided a series offkeirs Al A2 A3 A4 A5 A, Fig. 8, which are arranged `in a circle around a distributer (See Fig. 4.) This distributer is provided with two series of pipes gq', arranged at the corners of a regular hexagon. Into-the upper part of the distributer U enters the pipe B, which leads off from the supply-tank C, while the pipe B, which leads off from the supply tank C, enters the'bottom of the distributer. In Fig. l, where but one keir Ais shown, the

\ pipes B and B enter directly underneath the same into a pot V, which serves as a distributer, while in the casel of the apparatus with several-heirs, as in Figs. 3 and'4, the pipes g and g enterthe distributerU. The keirs A to A6 are also provided in the middle of their bottoms with pots V of the construction shown in Fig. 1. Such pot V is provided IOO ranged and constructed as to be easily connected with the pipes q, Figs.' 3 and 4, or with above the pot V. A vertical stand-pipe t passes through the said pot V and is rigidly connected to the same, and at its lower part it is connected by means of a flange to one of the pipes g', Figs. 3 and 4, or with the pipe BQ Fig. l. This pipe t extends above the upper perforated diaphragm a', and at its upper end it may be provided with 4horizontal distributing-pipes (not shown on the drawings) for the purpose of distributing the liquid uniformly.

In the supply-tanks C and C there is produced on top of the dyeing liquor either a pressure of the air or of the gas employed, or a partial vacuum. A fourth tank D, Fig. l, serves as a gas or air receptacle. The air or gas enters this under pressure through the pipe l) from an air-pump'-as, for instance, from the rotating pump E. The suctionpipe of this pump E is connected to the pipe c. If desired, the suction-pipe is connected to a condenser, so as to be able to work with hot liquids. This condenser is not shown on the drawings. The air-pump E forces air or gas through the pipe l) into the receptacle D. There the air or the gas, respectively, ascends and passes through the pipe d into the reversing-valve F, Fig. 1 and Fig. 5. According to the position of a piston in the reversing-valve F the compressed air is conducted into the pipe e or into the pipe e, the former of which is connected to the supply-tank C', while the latter' is connected to the supply-tank C. From the tanks C or C the dyeing liquor gasses into the keir A, either through the pipe which conducts the liquor below the false bottom a, or through the pipe B, which conducts the liquor above the upper diaphragm a. During the time when one of the two pipes e e/ for instance, the pipe e-conduets the compressed gas away the other pipe-for instance, the pipe e/ serves for aspiration, and it is connected by way of the reversingvalve F and the pipe c with the pump, which produces the aspirating action.

In the rather-frequently occurring case where the atmospheric pressure on one side is suilicient for effecting by itself alone the circulation of the liquids aspirated on the other side the tank D is to be provided with air-cocks, permitting connection of the tank to the atmosphere. In this case the pump is relied upon only for producing the aspirating action instead of for aspirating and forcing, and the entire machine operates only by means of the vacuum. This will of course only be the case where air is used as an operating-gas. If one is compelled to work with other gases of limited source and which are expensive, it becomes necessary not to allow them to escape to the outside atmosphere, but instead of that they have to be sucked off on one sideand to be compressed on the other side.

In the two supply-tanks C and C', in which an alternating sucking and forcing action is produced, two iioats G and G are provided, which are freely movable along the rods q and g Each rod is secured. at its lower end to a broad disk l, upon which the fioat when descending will rest, the ioat by its weight forcing the rod g to descend also. In order to prevent tipping and displacement of the float, it is necessary to provide an accurate vertical guide or a guide with four pillars 2, which are secured to the walls of the tank and which limit the upward and downward movements ofthe float. By this arrangement every possibility of the lloat getting stuck is excluded. The rods g and g operate an intermediate valve H, which acts upon the reversing-valve F in the following manner: The cover of each of the two supplytanks C and C is provided with an opcnlng i, through which the rod g or g passes, so as to be freely movable. Above each cover a small hermetically-closed hood 7L is arranged, into which the rod g or g passes. The upper ends of the rods in the interior of the hood are connected to links 3, which operate crank-arms 4, 'fixed on horizontal shafts 5. Each shaft passes to the outside of the hood through an air-tight stufling-box. (See Fig. 2.) At the outside there is also iixed to the shaft 5 the crank-arm 6, which is jointed to link 7, and which latter imparts a horizontal movement to the rod j, which in its turn causes the horizontal displacement of the pistons of valve I-I. When the rodv gdescends, the rod j is moved to the right exactly for a predetermined distance, which depends upon the adjustment of the levers and on the angles which they form with each other.

The dome or hood 7L is provided for the purpose of retaining the gases which escape at i. The gases remain in the hood and will be under the' same pressure as that prevailing in the corresponding receptacle.

The intermediate valve H is represented in Fig. 1, and details of the same are shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The round valve-casing surrounds the valve proper, which consists of three parallel and connected pistons J K J, between which rigidly attached and reversely-inclined walls M and M', Fig. 7, are

arranged. These two inclined walls are arranged between and connect the parallel IOO pistons in such a manner that according to the position of the valve-pistons J K J with relation to the four openings N O N C they will allow the gases to pass off through N O and to flow back through C N, as shown in Fig. 7 of the drawings, or the gases pass through N N and ow back through C C when the entire valve J K J has been moved to the left-hand side. The piston-valve J K J is provided at either side with a valverod j and j', respectively, and to these rods erases The gas-which is to be ldistributedmay be of any suitable kind-compressedA air, for instance-at slight pressure or steam of two kilograms pressure. The operating-gas enters into the intermediate valve H through the pipe k, provided with a valve'l. As will j be apparent from Figs. 1, 7, and 5, the openwhichis admitted throug the pipe 7c enters A tionof iiow of the movement of the rod through the lin'ks andy levers 3 4 6 7, to thev the intermediate valveH at N, passes through O', the pipe m, and the opening n, and then operates in the vmanner hereinafter described. The escaping gas flows through ythe opening n of the reversing-valve, and it then passes through fm into N and escapes at O. When the piston-valve J K J is moved to the left, the` inclined wall M of the valve H determines the direction of movement ofthe gases, the circulation then going on in the opposite direction to that hereinbefore described. The reversing-valve F shows four openings upon its surface, which are designated e e c d in Fig. 5 (the two latter openings being indicated by the same rectangle) and which corresponds to the four pipes e e c d, Fig. 1.

In the reversing-valve F i`s arranged a system of three arallel pistons P Q P ,the three of which inclbsethe reversely-inclined Walls R and R', which are arranged with` relation to each other in exactly the same manner as the walls M and M (illustrated in Fig. '7) and which direct the flow of the gases inthe same manner, so that the gases flow either to one or the other side. The pistons P Q P are provided withfa rod o, 4with two adjusting-- collars p, between which a piston S is freely s ldable within the ycylinder T, Fig. 5. When the several parts of the apparatus, Fig 5, are in 'the position shown in the drawings, the gas .flowing through the intermediate valve His admitted at n ,and it first forces the piston S toward p along the rod o. Then the piston S carries 'the rod o along in its course, `andthe reversing-piston valve P Q P is'displaced,whereby the direcgas is changed, as above described. l

Y By applying the description herei'nbefore specified tothe entire system (represented in Fig. 1 by way of example) the mode of operationyis as follows: If thecompressedair in the supply-tank C forces the liquid down,

the fioat G will also descend. Now at a certain point float G pulls down rod g', and the shaft and the parts J K J of the intermedi- 'have attained its ate valve Figs. 6 and`\7. The middle piston Kwlll then be 'sufficiently moved for uncovering the openings on the `side which were Y previously closed up. The operating-gas will now commence passing to t e rear of the Vpiston S of the cylinder T of reversing-valve F, Fig. 5, and' it drives the said iston forward. During this time the supp y-tank C continues to be emptied, and the float G will owest position, and the openings N N O O are freely exposed between piston K and piston J. In this position thepiston Sacts with its entire force upon the piston-valve P Q P and pushes the same suddenly forward, whereby the direction of movement of the aspirating and forcing actlon andthe direction of movement ofthe dyeing liquor are also immediately and quickly changed. The aspiration is eHected in C', and the action of the pressure commences in C. The movement of the liquid in the keir A is changed in accordance therewith. If it is desired to change the direction of movement again when the float has arrived at its lowest point, the action exerted upon the intermediate valve H produces the effect of compressing the operating-gases in the conduit. The piston S is thereby displaced as far as the adjusting-collar p, and the pressure exerted upon loose piston S-will force the piston-valve P Q P again to the left, as shown in Fig. 5.

Having thus described my invention', what vI claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An ap aratus for the treatment of textile materia s, which consists of one or more keirs and two liquid-supply tanks, each pro- IOO vided with a oat and adapted to contain a e 1ror keir below the lower diaphragm and a standpipe rising, through the pot to the upper part of the keir and opening into the same above` the. upper diaphragm and also connected'to the other liquid-supply tank.

3. An apparatus for treating textile material, comprising one or more keirs, two liquidsupply tanks containing ioats and adapted to contain a gaseous medium under different pressure, a reversing-valve for regulating the flow of the gas, a pump for energizing the fiow and an intermediate valve connected to and` operated by the floats of the supply-tanks sub- Lstantially as shown and describe is transmitted, i

4. An apparatus for treating textile materials, comprising one or more keirs, two liquid-supply tanks having floats with a rod 'from each loat extending'vup' through van opening in `the top of the tank, a hermetica -closed dome extendinfrvover the tops of the tanks, a horizontal roc -shaft extending through the dome and having one crank-arm connected to the rod of the lioat within the dome and an external crank-arm and a valve operated by the same.

5. In an apparatus for treating textile materials, one or more keirs, a pump, two liquidsupply tanks having floats, an intermediate valve operated by the floats and a reversingvalve with loosely-sliding piston and Stop projections7 said reversing-valve being operated through the intermediate valve and serving to permit a complete movement of the floats, as described.-

6. In an apparatus for the treatment of textile materials, one or more keirs, two supply-tanks with floats, a pump, slide-valves operated by the 'Heats for reversing the flow of liquids and gas, said slide-valves being constructed in the form of three parallel pistons spaced apart but rigidly connected together by two reversely-inclined partitionwalls, and having an inclosing case with fourway openings for inlets and outlets.

7. An apparatus for the treatment of textile material consisting of a series of keirs, two liquid-supply tanks, a pump with connecting pipes and valves, a single pot in common to and connecting a plurality of keirs and'consisting of two chambers, one chamber being connected to one supply-tank and the other to the other supply-tank, and an individual pot arranged in the bottom of each keir and having an outlet into the bottom of its keir and a stand-pipe opening into the top, said individual pot and stand-pipe being respectively connected to the two chambers of the common or multiple pot.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' OTTO OBERMAIER.

Titnesses MICHAEL ZIMMERMANN, FRIEDRICH SGHAEDLER. 

